Canada launch worlds first offshore wind assessment buoy

The WindSentinel was designed to assist offshore wind farm developers in determining the available wind resource at potential wind farm sites. According to AXYS it is the world’s first wind resource assessment buoy capable of accurately measuring wind data at heights of conventional offshore wind turbines. Historically, wind farm developers have had to construct permanent offshore meteorological towers or ‘met masts’ that can cost as much as $10m to build. By contrast a basic WindSentinel is approximately $1m.

‘This buoy solves many of the challenges developers face when forced to use a met mast offshore,’ said Dennis Stacey, renewable energy product specialist at AXYS. ‘The WindSentinel allows developers to collect crucial wind resource assessment data more accurately, more quickly and less expensively than every other available option.’

The buoy was deployed for validation testing prior to its commercial launch. The validation tests are designed to compare wind data collected by a LIDAR on the moving buoy to wind data collected from a second, stationary LIDAR, on Race Rocks Island 0.5 kilometers away.

The test site at Race Rocks Island was specifically chosen to thoroughly test the buoy’s capabilities. The waters surrounding Race Rocks see currents of 5 to 6 knots, waves from 2 to 4m and winds up to 50 knots.

The trial took place between 23 October and 15 November. Reo Phillips, product development manager with AXYS commented that, ‘The study’s findings are very exciting.’

AXYS says the results of the study will be released to the industry in early 2010.